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ALBRECHT DÜRER (1471-1528)

The Whore of Babylon, from: The Apocalypse

ALBRECHT DÜRER (1471-1528)
The Whore of Babylon, from: The Apocalypse
woodcut, circa 1496/97, on laid paper, watermark Imperial Orb (Meder 53), a very fine proof impression, before the text editions in German and Latin of 1498, printing very evenly, clearly and strongly, trimmed to or just outside the borderline on all sides, in very good condition, framed
Block and Sheet 391 x 282 mm.

Literature and exhibited

Literature

Bartsch 73; Meder, Hollstein 177; Schoch Mende Scherbaum 125

Lot Essay

The realistic way in which Dürer depicted Saint John's cryptic visions becomes particularly apparent in the present image. The figure and attire of the Whore is closely based on a highly finished drawing of a Venetian lady he made on his first trip to Venice in 1494-95 (W. 69). Venice, the largest and richest city in Europe, was famous for its courtesans and the alluring appearance and louche behaviour of its women. Here Dürer rendered the woman's dress and coiffure, the plants in the foreground and the landscape in the distance with greatest detail and accuracy. By taking such pains to accurately describe the natural world, the supernatural events unfolding within it appear no less real.